Mumbai: Modern consumers occupy a domain of information saturation. Every new-age technological exchange brings them closer to a manifold of messages, all contending for their finite attention. Traditional marketing strategies like advertisements are handed tricky challenges by this, as they often face difficulties in reaching the consumers beyond the white noise of information and initiating sincere dialogues. This is why brands are reassessing the established differences between advertisements and public relations (PR) - warranting a tactical integration of communication strategies to influence their target audiences. Several factors are orchestrating this transformation and its impacts are establishing the benchmark for the future of global industries. This is setting the stage for brands to adjust to a rapidly changing environment and compose genuine interactions with their target audience.
Why is the industry shifting towards earned media?
Historically, advertisements dictated terms concerning marketing strategies for brands that had a major focus on paid media components such as billboards, television commercials and sponsored content. The advent of social media and other online platforms facilitated rapid change among global consumers by empowering them with choices. This resulted in an increasingly shifting preference towards earned media, like PR efforts. Positive media coverages, organic brand mentions and influencer marketing redefined marketing strategies, thus positioning PR under the limelight, which is proficient in producing positive media relations and brand storytelling.
This notion is accepted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), whose 2023 survey has revealed that a significant 63% of marketing professionals believe that earned media generates more integrity when compared to paid media. The study also unearthed that a remarkable 84% of marketers concur that positive media coverage is pivotal for establishing a brand reputation. The heightened significance of authenticity and trust are evidence of evolving consumer expectations, where customer-generated content and suggestions exert greater authority than conventional advertisements.
Adapting to the convergent digital media
The emergence of digital platforms has not only revolutionised the media industry but has reinvented the innermost nature of public relations. PR professionals are now capitalising on digital tools and social media platforms to interact with consumers directly, crafting persuasive narratives and establishing productive relationships with thought leaders. This repositioning consists of creating viral content, managing digital communities and a proactive approach towards digital interactions, policies once regarded as the unique domain of advertisements.
A compelling demonstration of this approach is the inception of influencer marketing. Conventional PR efforts were aimed at fostering productive relationships with media professionals and outlets. Presently, apart from media personnel and agencies, harbouring association with social media influencers who hold sway over a significant number of digital audiences has become a pivotal part of PR, while still at a nascent stage in the advertising domain.
Various think tanks and researchers also support this claim. Globally renowned publication Forbes, in its 2023 article titled "Why PR Budgets Are Growing Faster Than Marketing Budgets" argued the increasing importance of earned media and its validity in the information age. The PRSA, in its 2023 PR Metrics Report, revealed that a significant 65% of PR professionals disclosed budgets increased in 2022 in comparison with the previous year. Cision, a public relations and earned media software agency, in its 2023 State of the Media report, suggested that earned media value has experienced stable growth in recent years. These put the future of the PR domain under the limelight but also highlight the additional scope of development in collaborations with the advertisement industry.
Presently, advertisement budgets for brands continue to hold a significant lead over PR, the trend is evolving. Brands have increasingly begun to seek the inclusive communications approach that combines both advertisement and PR efforts. This is amplifying the process of blurring the boundaries of PR and advertisement in the industry while demanding increased collaborative efforts between the two domains to establish streamlined and productive work.
The article is attributed to Bridgers founder Anubhav Singh.
